Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 1.djvu/405

 to him, and then went back to his castle. Early in spring Olaf rigged out his ships and set off to sea. He sailed to Scania, and made a landing. The people of the country assembled, and gave him battle; butKing Olaf conquered, and made a great booty. Hethen sailed eastward to the island of Gotland, wherehe captured a merchant vessel belonging to the people of Jemteland. They made a brave defence; but the end of it was that Olaf cleared the deck, killed all the men, and took all the goods. He had a third battle in Gotland, in which he also gained the victory, and made a great booty. So says Halfred Vandrsedaskald:—

The Emperor Otto assembled a great army from Saxonland, Fraldand , Friesland , and Vendland. King Burislaf followed him with a large army, and in it was his son-in-law, Olaf Tryggvesson. The em¬ peror had a great body of horsemen, and still greater of foot people, and a great army from Holstein. Harald, the Danish king, sent Earl Hakon with the